The contributor nominees, Broncos owner Pat Bowlen and Cowboys and NFL executive Gil Brandt , each made it, as did senior Johnny Robinson, the defensive back who helped the Chiefs win Super Bowl 4.

Law’s Patriots resume includes 36 career interceptions over his 10 seasons (1995-2004) with the team, tying fellow corner Raymond Clayborn for the franchise record. His 15-year NFL career includes four Pro Bowl berths with the Patriots (1998, 2001, 2002, 2003), three Super Bowl championships (XXXVI, XXXVIII, XXXIX) and two All-Pro selections (1998, 2003) with the team.

Law left New England to sign with the New York Jets, earned a Pro Bowl berth with that team that year and later played for Kansas City and Denver as well, but on Friday he called his time with the Patriots "the best 10 years of my playing career and my life."

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS VIDEO

Quarterback Tom Brady wrote a letter to the Hall-of-Fame committee endorsing Law as one of the best cornerbacks he ever played with or against.

"Ty was an incredible player," Brady said on Thursday when asked about the player. "I got to the team and he already established himself as one of the top players in the league at that position. Obviously, have Michigan ties. I knew a lot about him. He was an incredible player for our team and went onto some other teams and was their best corner, too. I played against a lot of great corners over the years and Ty is right up there with the best."

In the letter, which was published by ESPN, Brady calls Law "a pain in the ass" and goes on to explain what he did for the Patriots and how special his skill set was. The quarterback also relives when Law intercepted him for a pick-6 later in his career.

At his induction into the Patriots Hall of Fame in 2014, Law talked about returning to New England after he signed with the Jets as a free agent.

"It was one of the best feelings in the world to come back and see those (No.) 24 jerseys still out there, still cheering," said Law. "When I was sleeping with the enemy you (fans) still had that jersey on, still cheering for me, and that was one of the greatest moments that I ever had because I did not know how I was going to be received."

The beginning, Law recalled, wasn’t the best of times, however.

Visiting New England prior to the 1995 draft, Law has some not-so-fond memories of his introduction to the Patriots’ organization.

"They brought some big blue van (to pick him up at Logan Airport) with Patriots stuck on the side with scotch tape," said Law. "I said, ‘OK. I’m going to get in.’

"But as we drove further and further from civilization in Boston we landed here on Route 1 and they put me up at the End Zone (hotel). I was, like, ‘Oh, my God, please do not draft me here. You’ll get drafted right back to Aliquippa.’"

As history shows, Law did not get his wish, the Patriots making the Michigan Wolverine from Aliquippa, Pa., their first-round pick, 23rd overall, in ’95.

In 2014, team owner Robert Kraft paid trubute to Law.

"For a decade he brought confidence, he brought bravado, he brought swagger. But most of all, he helped bring the New England Patriots three Super Bowl championships."

Coach Bill Belichick was also effusive.

"I coached Ty in ’96 as secondary coach and then of course as head coach when I came back (in 2000)," he said. "Ty has very good physical size. He’s a big corner. He’s a physical corner. He’s got good playing strength. He’s tough. He’s a good tackler, and he has very good instincts and ball skills, and Ty’s the type of player that if quarterbacks found out in playing against him one way or the other you might get him once on something, but you’d better be careful the second time. That’s kind of the way Ty played. He was aggressive, but he was calculated. He knew when to be aggressive, when to take chances and maybe not to. But when he pulled the trigger he’d pull it and make a lot of big plays. He had excellent ball skills and anticipation, but (was also) a physical, tough player at that position, which you don’t always see. He certainly brought that to us throughout his career and later on when he played safety at the end of his career."

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